When Donald Trump and Theresa May walked into a joint press conference together on Friday at the British prime minister’s country home in Chequers, they did so hand in hand. They sported a matching vibrant red (a tie for him, a blazer for her). And when they spoke, they praised the durability of their countries’ long-standing and special relationship.

“I give our relationship, in terms of grade, the highest level of special,” Trump told reporters during the press conference. “I would give our relationship with the U.K., and now especially after these two days with your prime minister, I would say the highest level of special.” So Trump said.

But the relationship hadn’t seemed so special less than 24 hours prior, when it was revealed that Trump had granted an explosive interview to a British tabloid in which he widely criticized his host. Taking aim at May’s strategy for Britain’s exit from the European Union, Trump called her plan to maintain close links to the EU “a much different deal than the one the [British] people voted on,” and warned that it would “probably kill” the hopes of a trade deal between their two countries. The president also went on to criticise the U.K.’s immigration policy (“I think you are losing your culture”), London’s mayor Sadiq Khan (“You have a mayor who has done a terrible job in London”), and his own icy reception in the British capital (“I used to love London as a city. … But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?”).